Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Hide the approval notifications

I don't want to see whether a companion approves or disapproves of my dialogue choices. I don't mind figuring it out for myself based on reactions and personalities.

The reason why: it makes me less likely to make organic choices. I look at the dialogue options and find myself wanting to pick the ones that come with approval instead of figuring out what my character really wants to say.

Basically, I'm not a fan of the approval system. If it has to be there, I'd prefer it functioned in the background, under the hood, out of sight.

Even better, remove it altogether. I mean, what's going to make Laezel like me more? Saying the right thing to a random tiefling or fighting beside her in countless combats as we struggle together to find salvation?

Under "Interface" options there could be an option to not display approvals.

I have to totally agree with the OP on this one. I've found myself numerous times changing my decisions based on companion approvals - or just feeling frustrated that someone disapproved of what I chose. It's kinda like I'm some "omnipresent authority figure" or something, and not very immersive. We didn't even have this kind of thing in BG1 or 2. I get that you have to have the relationship score for things like romance options, or whatever, but I would prefer not knowing when they approve or not. Note: I don't mind the overall scale on their character sheet that tells me roughly how they feel about my MC, but it's the approval/disapproval during dialogues and stuff that I don't like.

And I also have to say, some of the approvals/disapprovals don't make sense to me. I get that I don't know these characters super well and all, so maybe they make sense after completing the game as them or something, but JandK is right. Lae'zel doesn't like me as a companion because I chose to help a tiefling child or something, but I don't score any points with her when my MC rushes up to save her life from the three gith patrol members trying to kill her. I can have her in the party from start to finish, enduring many hardships together, but at the celebration she tells me she thinks I'm not worth her time just because I helped tieflings or Mayrina or whatever.

And one thing I never liked about many romance systems. Opposites attract 99% of the time. So, if I create a good cleric of Tyr who wants to help people, and I'm fighting with Lae'zel who wants to kill people all the time, shouldn't there at least be a potential for romance because of opposites attract? I mean, sure, she might just hate my guts, and that's cool. But I'm saying that maybe there should be another way to determine romancibility and such - something besides just dialogue interactions and whether or not she approves of me helping tieflings, Mayrina, or whatever.

Oh! For example: For Lae'zel, approval depends on just how many enemies you kill with her in the party to see it. During the celebration, she even makes a comment about how you thrilled her by slaughtering so many enemies (if you choose the killing goblins path). So why not make that at least one of the primary ways to gain approval from her. Like, you gain 1 point of approval for every grunt enemy you kill with her in the party, 5 points for every big enemy, while losing maybe 1 point of approval for every dialogue choice you make that she doesn't like. So, you'll surely gain WAY more approval from her than disapproval because you'll be killing lots of enemies.

Same. Disapprovals to me feel more like discouraging dialogue choices that slow down attitude gain, rather than actual meaningful disapprovals with consequences.

Personally I'd rather have disapprovals tied only to choices directly affecting the companion and their story arcs. Such as pressing Shadowheart too hard about her past and judging her for it. Or disrespecting Lae'zel by taking over the conversation with Zorru or the kith'rak. Or triggering one of Astarion's many outbursts. These choices which directly oppose and affect companions should carry disapprovals and consequences.

But for random dialogue choices that do not directly involve their personal stories, I think only approvals should be a thing. They would still express their disapproval about random choices during a dialogue, but there wouldn't be any attitude loss nor a big pop up saying "Character Disapproves". This way they'd retain their personalities, agreements and disagreements, but not mechanically feel like you're doing the wrong thing just because they don't agree with something you did for a random peasant.

Personally I like the "X (Dis)Approves" mechanic. Since this is a video game and Larian probably can't model (and we certainly can't view) every single companion's accurate facial reactions in real time or write dialogue for each companion for all possible PC dialogue&decisions that affect approval, showing the "X Approves" text is a decent-enough way to convey this information. In a real adventuring party, there'd be countless discussions and pouting and snarkiness throughout the entire days of traveling together, but these must be shortened in a video game. I do recognize that the mechanic can easily be overused and it probably could use improvements.

At the very least, companions not currently in the party shouldn't approve/disapprove of small decisions. And perhaps a better way to show disapproval would be: if you choose a dialogue option that a companion dislikes, they interject into the conversation to argue. If you then ignore them and choose that action anyway you get the "X Disapproves" text. This would also make it feel more like a party of adventurers rather than Tav + meek followers.

Similarly, for companions that weren't in the party when you made a Big decision (e.g., side with or against tieflings), their disapproval is only shown through a later conversation with them, where you might get the chance to pacify them through persuasion or deception.

EDIT: Oh wait I might have misunderstood..? You should only figure out if a companion approves or disapproves after a choice, not before. Unless they explicitly speak up in the conversation to state their preference. I wouldn't like dialogue options being labeled as [X will disapprove]

I agree with having the option to hide approval notifications. Just wanted to put my voice in to up the chance of someone at Larian seeing this.

I agree about hiding the notifications, but I'd keep (dis)approval for dialog choices as it is now. Especially since we haven't seen the rest of the available companions in action.

Same here. Dialogue disapprovals are a pain in the rear as I always try to shuffle the party to get max approval out of everyone. Which is... really terrible and interferes with the gameplay.

The better option as you said would be to tie companion approvals/progression to their personal stories and dialogues. At least there you can somewhat manage the companions you keep and let go, instead of the party that will change randomly depending on whether you picked a flower or kicked a puppy.

They should make the companions actually react with roleplaying if they agree or disagree with you. Y’know like in D&D?

+1 to the approvals/disapprovals tied to your actions that relate to the actual character as opposed to just random story events that they probably wouldn't care about.

For example. If you long rest too many times, Lae'zel's relationship score begins to drop. She's ticked that you STILL haven't gone to check out the gith patrol. She'd care more about that than some random tiefling about to shoot a goblin in a cage with a crossbow.

And Wyll. His relationship score should start going down if you take too long to go after the goblin leaders - aka Spike and Mizora and so forth.

Meanwhile, prioritize their quests and gain massive relationship boosts. In other words, nothing too crazy here. Let's say you go to Zorru the same day that Lae'zel tells you to go there. Massive relationship boost. Like 10 points. But if you do it the next day, maybe you only gain 5 points. Wait for 2 days and maybe only 2 points. Wait for 3 days and you get no relationship increase. 4 days means you lose 2 points. 5 days means you lose 5 points. 6 or more days and you lose 10 points. She's ticked at you.

After Zorru, same principle applies. You now know where the patrol is. Go there same day. 10 points. Take a day to go there. 5 points. Take 2 days. 2 points. Take 3 days. No loss no gain. 4 days, -2 points. 5 days, - 5 points. 6 or more? -10 points. She's ticked that after 6 freaking days, you still haven't gone where she wanted you to.

Something LIKE this would be really cool and much more appropriate based on the story and characters.

I approve

Larian will remember that

I don’t really care. I think there could have been more elegant ways to give the player feedback for his actions than a message in a corner of the screen, but frankly I’m going to guess that if NO feedback at all was given we’d get even more complaints.

That aside not once after taking a decision I’ve ever found myself thinking “Oh no, Laezel disapproves. My choice was wrong and my day is ruined”.

I take companions reactions for little more than side opinions that will only start to matter in accumulation over several hours, not something that forces me to adjust on the spot.
Same as always in these games, incidentally.
Xoti being touchy about religion in POE 2 never stopped me for shitting on the gods, for instance.